Welcome
to Anderson Kill & Olick's Titanic mock trial site. Each year on Take Your
Daughter to Work Day we conduct a mock trial to show our daughters and the daughters
of many of our pro bono clients what we do each day. This year we staged
the trial of The White Star Line, the operator of the R.M.S. Titanic. Our
daughters were so interested in this trial, even more so than any of the previous
mock trials we had done, that we decide to give everyone the opportunity to participate
in this mock trial by posting trial materials on the Internet as part of our celebration
of Law Day, May 1, 1998.

The
Story for the most part is true. Hans Jensen and his
fiancé, Carla Jensen were passengers on the Titanic along with Carla's
uncle and cousin. Carla did have quarters in the single woman's section
on the lower deck of the ship and did leave the Titanic in Life Boat 16.
The evacuation process was supervised by Second Officer Lightoller, a witness
in the mock trial. He was able to launch Collapsible Boat D, but this was
the last lifeboat launched from the Titanic before it sank. As Boat D was
being lowered past A-Deck, the other witness in the mock trial, Swedish
Military Attaché Bjornstrom-Steffanson really did dive into the partially
full lifeboat. The amazing story of Officer Lightoller being sucked under
by the sinking ship and then blown back to the surface by an exploding
boiler is also true. The information about what happened to Hans
Jensen that night is speculation, because neither he, nor either of Carla's
relatives survived the sinking of the Titantic. The sinking of the
Titanic deeply affected Carla and when she died in 1980 she was buried
in the nightgown that she wore the night she was lowered in Lifeboat 16
into the dark, freezing waters of the North Atlantic.

The materials can be used in many different ways by a variety of groups.
While designed for classroom use, the materials can be used by a scout
troop for law merit badges, by an after school program, such as computer
or debate club, or even by summer camp or party. Younger students
may be most interested in finding out about the Titanic and doing research
on the Internet, while older students can explore some of the more complex
issues such as the jurisdiction of U.S. courts to decide cases between
non-U.S. citizens. A Teacher's Guide provides
more information about the American Judicial Process
and ways to use the material.

THE
FACTS: On Sunday, April 14, 1912, just four days after
setting out on its first voyage with passengers aboard, the R.M.S.TITANIC
passenger ship struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland at 11:40
p.m., and subsequently sank at 2:20 a.m.

Of the 2,227 people aboard when the ship started its trans-Atlantic
voyage a total of 1,522 died in the disaster. Among the dead, was a 20-year-old
named Hans Peder Jensen. Jensen's fiancé, Carla Christine
Jensen was among the remaining 705 passengers ultimately rescued by the CARPATHIA
liner, several hours later.

On the fateful evening, the ship's radio room, received
several ice-warning messages from other ships in the area; including the
Baltic, the Caronia, the Amerika, and the Californian. According to
the testimony of surviving officers, only the message from the
Californian was posted in the chartroom.

At 9:20 p.m., Captain Smith retired for the evening, leaving Second Officer Lightoller
in charge. Lightoller's watch was over
at 10:00 and he then made his rounds of the ship before retiring to bed.
Captain Smith was awoken at 11:40 p.m., by a grinding vibration, and proceeded
to the bridge in his pajamas to investigate. He returned to his room,
after a brief discussion with Third Officer Herbert Pitman about the noise.
Ten minutes later, the severity of the situation was brought to Smith's
attention by Fourth Officer Boxhall, who informed him that "the water was
up to F-Deck in the Mail Room."

Upon receiving orders from Captain Smith, Second Officer
Lightoller immediately began to load women and children into Lifeboats.
During the next 2 ½ hours, many lifeboats left partially full.
By 2:00 a.m., all but four lifeboats had been lowered, and every distress-flare
had been fired.

At dawn on April 15th, 1912, the CARPATHIA arrived on the
scene, and those who had not yet frozen in the icy, North Atlantic waters,
were rescued.